Author: Alex Thompson

Morphine oral route

Do not drive a car or ride a bike if morphine makes you sleepy, gives you blurred vision or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions. This may be more likely when you first start taking morphine but could happen at any time, for example, when starting another medicine. When morphine blocks the pain, there are other unwanted effects, for example, slow or shallow breathing.

Usual Adult Dose for Pain

The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Morphine injection is used to treat pain severe enough to require opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated. It may also be used before or during surgery with an anesthetic (medicine that puts you to sleep). Morphine belongs to the group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines).

It also slows down digestion, which is why morphine can cause constipation. Before you decide to stop taking morphine, speak with your doctor. You will need to taper the dose in order to avoid having withdrawal symptoms. In other words, it takes between 2 and 4 hours for your body to eliminate half of the dose of morphine.

Abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

  1. Depending on the size of the last dose, a person’s metabolism, how much water they consume, and similar factors, a urine sample is usually negative within 12–36 hours.
  2. If too much of this medicine is taken for a long time, it may become habit-forming (causing mental or physical dependence).
  3. If you want to stop taking morphine, talk to your doctor first.
  4. Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking morphine and each time you get a refill.

International Patients

Avoid medication errors by using only the medicine your doctor prescribes. You should not take morphine if you have severe asthma or breathing problems, a blockage in your stomach or intestines, or a bowel obstruction called paralytic ileus. Morphine may also be abused and may be considered contraindicated in patients with a history of substance abuse or abusing opioids. Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor.

Effects

This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter OTC) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements. To prevent this, your doctor may direct you to take laxatives, drink a lot of fluids, or increase the amount of fiber in your diet. If you feel that the medicine is not working as well, do not use more than your prescribed dose.

Liver Dose Adjustments

Take this drug with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually every 8 hours or 12 hours. If you have nausea, it may help to take this drug with food. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to decrease nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as little head movement as possible).

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Talk with your doctor before using this medicine if you plan to have children. If you cannot swallow the extended-release capsule, you may open it and pour the contents into a small amount of applesauce. Stir this mixture well and swallow it right away without chewing. Do not receive this medicine through a nasogastric tube. This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you have ongoing pain (such as due to cancer), your doctor may direct you to also take long-acting opioid medications. In that case, this medication might be used for sudden (breakthrough) pain only as needed. Other pain relievers (such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen) may also be prescribed with this medication.